Tim Beissmann

Australia's version of the Ford Mustang V8 will be no less powerful than the one offered in the US despite there being a big disparity in the on-paper power and torque ratings of the pair.

Ford Australia has confirmed its flagship Mustang V8 will produce 303kW of power and 525Nm of torque, which appears to fall 21kW and 17Nm short of the 324kW/542Nm version of the engine that is already available in the US.

But Ford Australia brand communications manager Neil McDonald told CarAdvice today the 5.0-litre V8 headed to Australia will be identical to the one used to power the US-market Mustang, explaining the difference is caused by different ratings systems used to measure power and torque outputs between the two markets.

"North America use an SAE rating system for power and torque and we don't use that figure. We use a DIN rating system, so that's why there's a perception of a discrepancy in the power," McDonald clarified.

"We had a similar situation with Focus ST where the North American figure quoted was quite high and it was the way they actually measured the performance of the vehicles over there."

The DIN standard is achieved by testing the engine fitted with all ancillaries and the exhaust system as used in the car. The SAE system tests without the alternator, water pump and other auxiliary components such as the power steering pump and muffled exhaust system, so the US figures are higher than the European figures for the same engine.

Ford Australia will also offer an entry-level 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo Mustang with 233kW and 432Nm.

The local division has also released a long equipment list for the Mustang, confirming it will reach our shores as a highly specified sports car in fastback coupe and convertible body styles.

Both engines will drive the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with paddleshifters. A limited-slip differential is standard, along with double ball-joint independent MacPherson strut suspension at the front and integral-link independent rear suspension with coil springs.

The only differentiators between the four-cylinder and V8 models are their front brakes (the former gets 352x32mm discs with four-piston 46mm fixed aluminium calipers, the latter gets 380x34mm discs with Brembo six-piston 36mm fixed aluminium calipers) and tyre and wheel package (255/40R19 tyres front and rear for the four-cylinder, 275/40R19 tyres on 19x9-inch front and 19x9.5-inch rear wheels for the V8).

Standard safety gear includes dual front and side airbags and knee airbags for the driver and front passenger, as well as the MyKey programing system, electronic stability control and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Full Australian specifications and pricing details will be announced closer to the Mustang’s launch late next year.